IMGD 1001:Level Design

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OutlineGameplay (done)Level Design (this deck)

Game Balance

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Project 6 - Selecting Features Note! First …

Work on core mechanics (movement, shooting, etc.)

Get bugs worked out, animations and movement smooth

Then, have prototype with solid core mechanics tweaked some gameplay so can try out levels

Need 25 levels! Rest of features!

Problem … too many ideas! If don’t have enough, show it to some friends and they’ll give you some

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Project 6 - Types of Features Player can use

Abilities (attack moves, swimming, flying) Equipment (weapons, armor, vehicles) Characters (engineer, wizard, medic) Buildings (garage, barracks, armory)

Player must overcome Opponents (with new abilities) Obstacles (traps, puzzles, terrain) Environments (battlefields, tracks, climate)

Categorizing may help decide identity Ex: Game may want many kinds of obstacles, or many characters. What is core?

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Project 6 - Tips on Vetting Pie in the Sky

“The Koala picks up the jetpack and everything turns 3d and you fly through this customizable maze at 1000 m.p.h…”

Beware of features that are too much work Don’t always choose the easiest, but look (and think) before you

leap And don’t always discard the craziest features … you may find they

work out after all

Starting an Arms Race“Once the Koala’s get their nuclear tank, nothing can hurt them.

Sweet! No, wait …” If you give player new ability (say tank) they’ll like it fine at

first But subsequently, earlier challenges are too easy You can’t easily take it away next level Need to worry about balance of subsequent levels

One-Trick Ponies“On this one level, the Koala gets swallowed by a giant and has to go

through the intestines fighting bile and stuff…” Beware of work on a feature, even if cool, that is only used once

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Learning Curves

Stage 1 – Players learn lots, but progress slow. Often can give up. Designer needs to ensure enough progress that continues

Stage 2 – Players know lots, increase in skill at rapid rate. Engrossed. Easy to keep player hooked.

Stage 3 – Mastered challenges. Skill levels off. Designer needs to ensure challenges continue.

Practice (Time)

Ski

ll

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

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Difficulty Curves (1 of 2)

Maintain Stage 2 by introducing new features! Too steep? Player gives up out of frustration. Too

shallow? Player gets bored and quits. How to tell? Lots of play testing! Still, some guidelines…

Practice (Time)

Diffi

cult

y

Stage 1 Stage 2

Easy Medium Hard

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Difficulty Curves (2 of 2)

In practice, create a roller coaster, not a highway Many RPG’s have monsters get tougher with level (Diablo)

But boring if that is all since will “feel” the same

Practice (Time)

Diffi

cult

y

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Project 6 - Guidelines Decide how many levels (virtual or real) Divide into equal groups of EASY, MEDIUM, HARD (in

order) Design each level and decide which group

All players complete EASY Design these for those who have never played

before Most can complete MEDIUM

Casual game-players here Good players complete HARD

Think of these as for yourself and friends who play these games

If not enough in each group, redesign to make harder or easier so about an equal number of each

Have levels played, arranged in order, easiest to hardest

Test on different players Adjust based on tests

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Make a Game that you Play With, Not Against Consider great story, graphics, immersion but only progress by trial and error … is this fun?

Ex: crossbowman guards exit1.Run up and attack. He’s too fast. Back to save point (more on save points next).

2.Drink potion. Sneak up. He shoots you. Back to save.

3.Drop bottle as distraction. He comes looking. Shoots you. Back to save.

4.Drink potion. Drop bottle. He walks by you. You escape!

Lazy design! Should succeed by skill and judgment, not trial and error Remember: Let the player win, not the designer!

Based on Chapter 5, Game Architecture and Design, by Rollings and Morris

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Specific Example - The Save Game Problem (1 of 3) Designer talking about RPG

Designer: “I’ve got a great trap!” … platform goes down to room. Player thinks treasure but really flame throwers. Player is toast!

Tester: “What if player jumps off?” D: (thinks it’s a loophole) … “Ok, teleport in then toast”

T: “What is the solution?” D: “There isn’t one.” (surprised) “It’s a killer trap. It will be fun.”

T: “So, there’s no clue for player? Charred remains on platform or something?”

D: “No. That’s what the ‘Save’ feature is for.”

Based on Chapter 5, Game Architecture and Design, by Rollings and Morris

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Specific Example - The Save Game Problem (2 of 3) Player needs to destroy 3 generators before leaving level (or next level, powerless ship doesn’t make sense)

Level designer puts up enemy spawner at exit: Infinite enemies prevent exit May think: "kill X enemies and I’m done!" (like Uncharted)

Only way to realize can’t leave is to die.

D: “After dying a few times, player will realize can’t leave and will finish objectives”

Lead: “At which point, s/he throws console at the wall!”

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Specific Example - The Save Game Problem (3 of 3) Should be used only so players can go back to their Real Lives in between games Or maybe to allow player to fully see folly of actions, for exploratory and dabbling

Don’t design game around need to save Has become norm for many games, but too bad Ex: murderous level can only get by trying all combat options

Beginner player should be able to reason and come up with answer Challenges get tougher (more sophisticated reasoning) as player and game progress, so appeals to more advanced player

But not trial and error

Based on Chapter 5, Game Architecture and Design, by Rollings and Morris

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Different Level Flow ModelsLinearBottleneckingBranchingOpenHubs and Spokes

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Level Flow Model:Linear

Start on one end, end on the other Challenge in making a truly interesting experience Often try with graphics, abilities, etc. Ex: Half-life, ads great story

Used to a great extent by many games

Start End

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Level Flow Model:Bottlenecking

Various points, path splits, allowing choice Gives feeling of control Ex: Choose stairs or elevator

At some point, paths converge Designer can manage content explosion Ex: must kill bad guys on roof

Start EndBottle-Neck A

Bottle-Neck B

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Level Flow Model:Branching

Choices lead to different endingsUser has a lot of controlDesign has burden of making many interesting pathsLots of resources

Start

Branch Branch

Branch

End A End B End C

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Level Flow Model:Open

Player does certain number of tasks Outcome depends upon the tasks.

Systemic level design Designer creates system, player interacts as sees fit

Sometimes called “sandbox” level. (Ex: GTA)

End

Start

Objective Objective

Objective

Objective

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Level Flow Model:Hub and Spokes

Hub is level (or part of a level), other levels branch off Means of grouping levels

Gives player feeling of control, but can help control level explosion

Can let player unlock a few spokes at a time Player can see that they will progress that way, but cannot now

Start

Level A

Level C

Level B

Level D

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Designing a Level:Brainstorming An iterative process

You did it for the initial design, now do it for levels!

Create wealth of ideas, on paper, post-it notes, whatever Can be physical sketches

Can include scripted, timed events (not just gameplay)

Output Cell-diagram (or tree)

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Designing a Level:Cell DiagramString out to create the player experience

Ordered, with lesser physical interactions as connectors (i.e., hallways)

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Designing a Level:Paper Design Graph paper Do whole thing,

then fill in Starting in middle

can be good Don’t use all creative juices early

Include a key (enemies, health, …)

Once started, iterate

Can use callouts to zoom in (picture or notes)

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Designing a Level:Sections Build a single level in

sections Basic boxes Functional geometry Add gameplay (puzzles,

enemies, routes) Textures, lights, sounds

Repeat Good

Can build on and tune Get feedback, try out

early Scales easily (can cut

short, if out of time) Bad

May be working with partial assets

May have to go back

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Designing a Level:LayersBuild a single level in layers

Start to end: Basic geometry Gameplay elements Decoration

GoodAllows proper pipelineAssets done when all done

BadNeeds more discipline (in one layer longer)

Final feedback only on end

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QuakeII-DM1:An ExampleVideo (Q2DM1_Layout.avi)

level layout

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QuakeII-DM1:ArchitectureTwo major roomsConnected by three major hallwaysWith three major dead-endsNo place to hideForces player to keep moving

Camping is likely to be fatal

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QuakeII-DM1:PlacementCheap weapons are easy to findGood weapons are buried in dead endsPower-ups require either skill or exposure to acquire

Sound cues provide clues to location Jumping for power-ups Noise of acquiring armor

Video (Q2DM1_Weapons.avi) Weapon placement

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QuakeII-DM1:ResultA level that can be played by 2-8 players

Never gets oldOpen to a variety of strategies

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5 Card DashThe designer's challenge

Devise a sequence of levels that makes the player feel successful

AND challengedWITHOUT losing them to boredom or frustration Remember Flow?

A casual game• Poker crossed with Tetris• Video (5CD_Intro.avi)

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5 Card Dash Levels (1 of 2)Level 1: introduce the concept

Easy minimum handEasy required handsAdd some prompts along the way -- but not all at once

Level 2:More prompts with new featuresStill easy

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5 Card Dash Levels (2 of 2) Level 3

Add wildcards Prompt bonus cards Teach a straight

Level 8 Prepare for level 9

Level 9 Same as 8, but:

facedown cards sequential goal

Video (5CD_Level9.avi)

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Heuristics for Level Design (1 of 2)Figure out what you're trying to "teach" Make sure the level design expresses a need for that skill

Provide incentives for the "right" behavior Powerups, weapons, etc.

Keep Flow in mind Don’t introduce too much at one time Let people practice skills from time to time

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Heuristics for Level Design (2 of 2)Design for the game's features and capabilitiesIf you introduce, say, a new sniping weapon Give it a long-distance target to practice on immediately

Create a level where it's the most important weapon

After, it's available to the player as a standard tool

If the engine bogs down in large outdoor areas...don't design one!

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Group ExerciseConsider this classroom as a physical level

Items:Pages – players try to collectNuns – make player sit down for some time if caught

Detention chair – place where must sit if caught

Desks - obstaclesPower ups - various

Design…